140-year-old structure in Essex was decommissioned in 1984

Sir Robert McAlpine has been appointed to restore a grade II* listed water tower in Essex.

The firm’s special projects division will carry out the job at the Balkerne Water Tower in Colchester. 

The £6m scheme will see the local landmark, which dates back to 1882 and was decommissioned in 1984, turned into a visitor attraction.

jumbo 2

The building was completed in 1882 and includes 1.25 million bricks

The tower is the largest surviving Victorian municipal water tower in England and was built using 1.25 million bricks and 142 tonnes of cast iron.

Known locally as Jumbo, the structure attracted controversy at the time of its construction due to its scale and cost. The nickname was coined by a local clergyman opposed to the tower’s location near his garden, who likened it to a famous elephant at London Zoo.   

Main construction will start at the end of the year after six months of preconstruction work.

Client on the job is North Essex Heritage, who secured a 150-year lease on the building in 2021, and which has backing from the city council, Historic England and the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Planning consultant is Boyer with Purcell the heritage architect.